Heavy Raider - Gedriht Swordsmen
Strong warships, constructed to withstand the worst the sea can throw at them.They have sworn to fight and die for the chief.
Most of the northern European tribes were not naval powers, but there were still able seafarers to be found amongst them. Shipbuilding techniques were well understood, so while many vessels were small leather-skinned boats for inland and inshore use, bigger sea-going vessels were also made. Shipwrights used heavy planking for hulls, stitched together and then fastened to a wooden skeleton to create sturdy craft able to cope with Atlantic conditions. Julius Caesar was surprised at the quality of the enemy ships when his fleet clashed with the Veneti from modern-day Brittany. The Veneti vessels had flat bottoms to cope with shallows, but were also of heavy oak construction to cope with rough seas. This made them tough opposition for Roman galleys, and capable of shrugging off a ramming attack. Caesar said that the enemy ships "...were constructed of planks a foot in breadth, fastened by iron spikes the thickness of a man's thumb; the anchors were secured fast by iron chains instead of cables”. When the Romans were forced to board, they faced fearsome warriors used to close-quarters fighting at sea.
(Gedriht Swordsmen)
While not as disciplined as Roman Legionaries, Rome's attempts to incorporate Germania into its empire left its mark on Germanic armies, particularly the various tribal factions settled along the borders, who served as a buffer and fought as foederati for the Romans. Surely influenced by Rome's burgeoning Legions, the Saxoni developed remarkable military organisation for a northern Germanic tribe. Warriors were grouped into warbands, each with its own chief, and were further categorised into classes. Of these, the Gedriht were the personal retainers of the chief, who swore an oath to die with their leader. The Geoguth were the youngest warriors, who formed the bulk of a warband and fought on the frontline. The Duguth were older, veteran warriors, who had earned their positions but may not have been as swift as their younger counterparts. Naturally, the best equipment was reserved for the Gedriht, while the other two classes shared what little weapons and armour were left - metal and metalworking skills were uncommon in Germania at this time. The elite warriors were also responsible for starting the baritus, the infamous, terrifying Germanic war-chant.
Unit Name Heavy Raider - Gedriht Swordsmen |
Main Unit Key 3c_Sax_Heavy_Assault_Raider_Gedriht |
Land Unit Key 3c_Sax_Gedriht_Swordsmen |
Naval Unit Key 3c_barbarian_heavy_raider |
Soldiers 120 |
Category Medium Ship |
Class Melee Ship |
Custom Battle Cost 1600 |
Recruitment Cost 1600 |
Upkeep Cost 320 |
32 |
├ Missile Weapon rome_javelin_precursor |
├ Projectile javelin_prec |
├ Missile Damage 20 |
├ Missile Ap Damage 12 |
└ Base Reload Time 15 |
Accuracy 5 |
Range 40 |
Reload 0 |
Shots Per Minute 4 |
Ammunition 2 |
1290 |
└ Ship barbarian_heavy_raider |
Ship Speed 3 |
Melee Attack 48 |
45 |
├ Melee Weapon rome_celtic_longsword_elite |
├ Melee Damage Base 40 |
├ Melee Damage Ap 5 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Bonus vs. Large 0 |
├ Bonus vs Elephants 0 |
└ Bonus vs Infantry 0 |
Charge Bonus 35 |
69 |
├ Base Defence 39 |
├ Shield celtic |
└ Shield Defence 30 |
80 |
├ Armour mail_improved |
├ Armour Defence 45 |
└ Shield Armour 35 |
65 |
├ Man Entity rome_infantry_very_heavy |
├ Man Health 45 |
└ Bonus Hit Points 20 |
Base Morale 60 |
Abilities
Heavy Raider- Row Hard 20
Increases speed for 20 strokes.
Ship speed
- Shield Screen
The unit raises their shields in a static defensive formation.
Bracing, melee defence, shield strength
Can't move - Frenzied Charge
Increases the effectiveness of the unit's charge for an extended period. The unit will suffer a large fatigue penalty after the charge is over.
Charge speed, charge damage, acceleration
Melee defence, fatigue
Attributes
- Encourage
This unit provides a morale bonus to nearby allies. - Hide (forest)
This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close. - Resistant to Cold
This unit tires less quickly in snow.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Heavy Raider- Very good hull strength
- Medium crew
- Average speed
- Average ramming
- Very good boarding
- Very good attack
- Average defence
- Average damage but low armour penetration
- Good morale
Faction Availability | |
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Empire Divided |